按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
As I neared the airbus； I sensed somebody was observing me intently from around a pile of garbage but when I looked； the person ducked out of sight。 It was nonsense； of course； that anybody would recognize me。 I shrugged it off…just some thief being hopeful。
I flew back to the office where； using the handwriting on the lists； I could forge Prahd's suicide note and leave it and his false identoplate and old coat beside the River Wiel in a few days； to be found when he was safely gone to Blito…P3。 Doctor Prahd Bittlestiffender was about to vanish forever from the Voltar Confederacy。 The idiot。 There is no 〃Secret Humanitarian Section。〃 Nor any humanitarian actions either in this Empire。 Wonderful what people will believe when they want to believe hard enough。 Far be it from me to pay out five thousand credits a year for anything！
Chapter 10
In the morning； I stopped by the hangar to estimate the situation。
I had no doubts whatever about my planning and sure enough； here was ample evidence of it。 The place was an insect swarm of flying contractors！ They were moving at breakneck speed！
The top plates on the tug's back had long since been replaced。 Now the cranes had a long fin； like the kind you see on the backs of fish； that was being lowered。
Heller was up there directing the positioning and it was going very fast！ In no time at all； they had it where he wanted it and workmen were swarming over it to fasten it while he came swinging down on the crane hook。 He saw me and bounced off。
He had a sheaf of papers in his back pocket。 He pushed them at me。 〃These are pleted jobs；〃 he said。 He was talking in a hurried way； quite unlike him。 〃I've inspected them all。 The costs are correct； the work has been tested。 Please stamp them with your identoplate 。 。 。 right there under the project number on each。〃 He had magically produced a board to lay them on。
I stamped away。 〃How about that tendency of these Will…be Was engines to blow up；〃 I said。 〃You handled that？〃 He didn't seem to remember anything connected with it。 He saw a Fleet passenger carrier arriving…a young officer got out。 Behind him came an orderly carrying two small cases： they looked like cameras。 Heller took the papers I'd stamped and ran over to the new arrival。
It was the Fleet Intelligence officer that had checked my documents after the club fight！ There it was； right on his lapel； Fleet Intelligence They shook hands。 Heller said； with a happy eagerness； 〃You got them！〃 The orderly held up the two cases； grinning。 The Fleet Intelligence officer said； 〃The last two。 They're obsolete you know。 They stopped making variable time sights when they stopped production on all Will…be Was use in small vessels。〃 Heller was gloating over the case he had opened。 〃Wonderful。〃
〃I have to have your promise these don't fall into civilian hands；〃 said his friend from Fleet Intelligence。 He was extending a slip to sign。 〃They're amusing； you know。 I hadn't ever heard of them until you called。 I only knew of the big； clumsy； fixed time sights they use on battleships。〃 Heller took each one out of its case to see if it was operational。 He was grinning as he looked through them。 They appeared to be just small cameras。 All these guys from Fleet are crazy： kids with toys。 He stamped the receipt with his own identoplate。
〃I won't ask to see the ship；〃 said Fleet Intelligence。 〃It looks like you're full throttle！〃
〃We are that！〃 said Heller。 〃Working on zero time margin！ I really owe you； Bis。〃 They shook hands again and Heller rushed off with the cases。 He shouted an order to some contractor and then plunged into the ship。 He came out in a moment without the cases and went hurtling off to speed up a contractor crew that was already boiling five times as fast as anyone could expect。
I grinned happily to myself。 It was working！ The Countess Krak had gotten to him last night the way females can and will。 Heller was rushing like a rocket to his doom and in a frantic hurry to get there。
I didn't even return the Fleet Intelligence officer's sneer at me。 Let them hiss。 It was all going my way now！
My destinations for the day were all mapped out。 Using the soon to be officially defunct Doctor Bittlestiffender's fake identoplate； I had culled from the master console in my office； all the pany names I needed。 I knew exactly what they sold。 The one chosen for my first stop was the biggest： from the number of government contracts they got； I knew they were absolutely up to the crown of their corporate heads in graft。
After the short flight to mercial City； I was introducing myself to reception in the very sanitary； haughty； towered anteroom of the chief of Zanco Cello…logical Equipment and Supplies。 Through the huge windows； the vast roofs of mercial City panorama'd widely in industrial haze。
The receptionist thought I must look a little seedy to be calling on the chief himself for he tried to get me to sit down and wait。 I said； 〃Million…credit orders don't wait； clerky。 Shove me in and right now。〃 That produced the desired buzzes； bows and open doors。
The chief； a huge； sleek executive in the latest twinklecloth executive suit； extended his huge； sleek； sanitary； gloved hand； shook mine and indicated his very best interview chair。 The flashing label light on his desk said； KOLTAR ZANCO To myself I said； Koltar； you are about to make some people rich。 Aloud I said； 〃Professor Gyrant Slahb； an old and intimate family friend； remended your firm； Chief Zanco。 I do hope you are prepared to furnish what is needed。〃 Oh； indeed he and they could！ He extended a chank…pop to relieve my possible fatigue。 He must have had an open municator and heard that million credits。
〃I am on a secret project；〃 I said。 And I gave him the project number。 〃You may only have the number； but I suggest that you check it on your mercial puter。 And also my identoplate。〃 And I reeled off its numbers。
The receptionist must have an open municator also。 Before I had time to light the oversized puffstick Zanco gave me； the receptionist's voice jumped up from his electronic desk。 〃Valid； chiefy。 Both valid。 The unexpended balance is twenty…five million credits。〃 No surprise to me。 I had checked it last night。 It would take days and days for Endow and Lombar to dream up enough panies and fake bills and orders to use up such a huge sum。 Some bills would have to be factual and I intended to help them out despite Lombar's forbidding me to grab any graft。
Zanco was even friendlier。 I tossed the two lists on his desk。 〃Can you fill these？〃
〃Usually；〃 he said hugely； 〃such matters are handled by our sales department but 。。。〃
〃The secret nature of the project and the size of the order 。 。 。〃
〃Precisely。〃 Then he frowned。 〃These orders only run to； at a guess； about a third of a million。〃
〃That's why I want you to shut off that munication link；〃 I said。
He smiled。 He touched a master plate。 All the lights on his desk went dead。
〃The bill；〃 I said； 〃must be exactly doubled。 Half of the whole charge is to be untraceably sent to Lombar Hisst； Chief of the Apparatus。〃
〃Ah；〃 he said。 But he looked a little worried。 〃That will only be two…thirds of a million。〃 I had